BCB Drops Eight Players From Draft Ahead Of Auction

BCB drops eight players from draft ahead of auction (Image Source: IANS)

The Bangladesh Cricket Board: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has excluded at least eight domestic cricketers from the final Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) players’ draft after its integrity unit raised concerns over their conduct during the tournament’s last edition.

The decision follows internal investigations into alleged match-fixing activities. A senior BPL governing council official confirmed that the board is determined to keep anyone under suspicion out of the upcoming season’s draft in an effort to avoid a repeat of past controversies.

According to the updated draft list circulated to BPL franchises on Sunday—reviewed by this publication—the names removed were previously included in the preliminary draft. The omissions were made based on a report from the BCB’s integrity unit, led by Alex Marshall.

Among those left out are Bangladesh internationals Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Shofiul Islam, Alauddin Babu, Sunzamul Islam, Mizanur Rahman, Nihaduzzaman, and Munir Hasan Khan.

“They are omitted from the list as per the report of the integrity unit, as they were found in the red flag zone and we cannot tell anything further in this regard,” a board official told Cricbuzz.

The shake-up comes in the aftermath of a comprehensive 900-page report submitted by an independent three-member inquiry committee formed after widespread fixing allegations surfaced during the previous BPL season. The committee reportedly identified 18 to 19 individuals—including eight to ten players—who were suspected of varying levels of involvement.

“They are omitted from the list as per the report of the integrity unit, as they were found in the red flag zone and we cannot tell anything further in this regard,” a board official told Cricbuzz.

Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal had previously decided not to participate in the upcoming BPL, making it the first time since the tournament began in 2012 that he will be absent.

Article Source: IANS